One of the things that you will notice – really for not noticing – is the dearth of animals in Aruba. There are no large mammals here. Other than a couple of dogs here and there (even that, many seemed to belong to tourists), there are not much pets. I did not see a single cat in the whole island.

The only two wild animals we saw were a few donkeys and a bunch of goats in the mountains. Asked a local while having lunch today. Apparently, those are the only two wild animals you get here!!

I am sure the goats here were not going to complain about it as they fight for whatever non-cactus green food is available in the dry desert!!

I believe the name is an original Aruban Indian one. Like Fontein, this one is also carved in to the limestone rock by the chemical process of calcium carbonate being left over during dissolution and then evaporation giving rise to beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. There are three chambers – although we were allowed to go only to the first two. The third one is blocked off from visitors to protect the bats there.

After you see the first chamber, you have to get to the second chamber by walking thru a very dark passage. But moment you approach the second chamber, you can sense that there is a lot of light there. Which would make you wonder how could light make it all the way there (you are about 150 feet away from the entrance by now). Till you reach the chamber and you lift your head up to realize that erosion has eaten part of the roof off and there is direct sunlight coming in thru the holes!!

Formed entirely by erosion of the calcium carbonate in the limestone rocks, this cave has some impressive stalactites and stalagmites. It is currently about 50 to 60 yards long and was last used by the Aruba Indians over a thousand years back.

Want to take a guess which one? 🙂

A collapsed rock has created an artificial inlet. Which has formed its own beach there. What is the remarkable is the difference in the color of the water in the shallow side versus the deep ocean side. I was able to get one angle where it seemed like the rock was preventing two different colored waters from mixing with each other!!

We started this morning from where we left yesterday. Went for Arikok National Park – which is mostly a barren place with a lot of cactus and hills made of limestone rock. Caught some of the local flora. Some of the cacti was nearly 15 feet high or even more!